U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

Shay Bilchik, Administrator

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

OFF ICE OF JUSTICE PROGRAMS

BJA NI J OJJDP BJS OVC

November 1998 #87

The Youngest Offenders, 1996

by Charles M. Puzzanchera

In 1996, youth under age 15 were involved in

32% of all juvenile arrests

The majority of juvenile arrests involved youth age 15 or older

(68%), while 9% of juvenile arrests involved youth under 13.

Of all arrests of youth under 15, 30% were for larceny-theft or

vandalism, 13% were for assaultive behaviors, 9% were for

running away, 6% were for drug- or alcohol-related offenses,

and 6% were for curfew violations.

The arrest profile of youth under 15 varied from that of youth 15

and older. Compared with older juveniles, youth under 15 had a

greater proportion of property offense arrests (40% vs. 20%), a

greater proportion of person offense arrests (15% vs. 10%), and a

smaller proportion of drug and alcohol arrests (6% vs. 18%).

Since peaking in 1994, the violent crime arrest

rate for youth under 15 has declined

The violent crime arrest rate for youth under 15 gradually

increased throughout the 1980’s and peaked in 1994. For youth

15 and older, the violent crime arrest rate remained relatively

stable from 1980 through 1987 and increased sharply from 1988

through 1994. For both groups, the violent crime arrest rate

declined between 1994 and 1996—15% for youth under 15 and

12% for youth 15 and older. Despite these declines, the 1996

violent crime arrest rate was still 60% higher than the 1980 rate

for youth under 15 and 41% higher for youth 15 and older.

While arrest rates for murder for both age groups increased

between 1980 and 1993, the increase was greater for youth 15

and older. For both age groups, the murder arrest rate reached a

peak in 1993 and declined by one-third between 1993 and 1996.

Despite these declines, the 1996 murder arrest rate was 67%

higher than the 1980 rate for youth 15 and older, and 37% higher

for youth under 15.

Since peaking in 1991, the property crime arrest

rate for youth under 15 has declined

Between 1980 and 1996, the property crime arrest rate varied

more for youth 15 and older than for youth under 15. The

property crime arrest rate remained relatively constant for youth

under 15 during this period. For youth under 15, the property

crime arrest rate peaked in 1991, then declined. The 1996 rate

was almost identical to that in 1980. For youth 15 and older, the

property crime arrest rate decreased sharply between 1980 and

1984, then increased steadily through 1991. From 1991 through

1996, the property crime arrest rate for youth 15 and older

declined slightly (8%).

Estimated Number of Juvenile Arrests by Age Group, 1996

Age 12 and Age Age 15

Most Serious Offense Younger 13 and 14 and Older

Total 250,000 671,900 1,929,800

Crime Index Total 101,600 225,900 527,900

Violent Crime Index 10,600 29,600 95,000

Murder and nonnegligent <50 300 2,500

manslaughter

Forcible rape 600 1,400 3,700

Robbery 2,800 10,700 36,600

Aggravated assault 7,200 17,200 52,200

Property Crime Index 91,000 196,300 433,000

Burglary 16,000 34,900 84,200

Larceny-theft 69,000 141,500 291,900

Motor vehicle theft 2,500 16,700 53,600

Arson 3,500 3,200 3,300

Nonindex

Simple assault 31,800 64,200 138,100

Forgery and counterfeiting 200 800 7,500

Fraud 1,300 6,500 19,200

Embezzlement <50 100 1,200

Stolen property (buying, 2,200 8,800 30,100

receiving, possessing)

Vandalism 25,000 38,500 78,100

Weapons violations 4,200 11,500 37,100

Prostitution and <50 100 1,200

commercialized vice

Sex offenses (except forcible 3,300 5,300 8,600

rape and prostitution)

Drug abuse violations 4,300 31,300 175,800

Gambling <50 300 2,400

Offenses against the family 800 1,900 5,700

and children

Driving under the influence 200 300 18,100

Liquor law violations 1,600 15,400 138,200

Drunkenness 400 2,900 20,200

Disorderly conduct 18,400 53,900 142,800

Vagrancy 100 700 2,900

All other offenses 30,600 95,600 324,000

(except traffic)

Suspicion 100 300 1,200

Curfew 8,900 42,200 134,000

Runaway 14,900 65,300 115,500

Data Source: Arrest estimates developed by the author using data from

Federal Bureau of Investigation, Crime in the United States 1996.
U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

y Prevention Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquenc

Washington, DC 20531

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Permit No. G–91

FS–9887 Fact Sheet

The number of court cases involving youth under

15 increased 57% from 1986 to 1995

In 1995, juvenile courts handled an estimated 651,700 cases

involving youth under 15, compared with 414,600 cases in 1986.

A case represents one youth processed on a new referral, regardless of the number of offenses contained in that referral. An

individual youth can be involved in more than one case during the

year. Thirty-nine percent of all cases processed in 1995 involved

youth under age 15. In 1995, the caseloads of youth under 15

contained a greater proportion of person offense cases (24% vs.

21%) and property offense cases (56% vs. 48%) and a smaller

proportion of drug offense cases (5% vs. 12%) than those of

youth 15 and older.

In 1995, the caseloads of youth under 15 (36%) contained a slightly

greater proportion of minority youth than those of youth 15 and

older (33%). The racial characteristics of juveniles involved in

person, property, and drug offense cases processed in 1995 varied

between younger and older juveniles. Person offense cases involving

youth under 15 (44%) contained a greater proportion of nonwhite

youth than those involving youth 15 and older (41%). The same was

true for property offense cases (33% and 28%, respectively). The

proportion of drug offense cases involving nonwhite youth, however,

did not vary between the two age groups.

youth 15 and older. During the same period, drug offense cases

processed by juvenile courts increased 136% for youth under 15

and 117% for youth 15 or older. Property offense cases increased

33% and 16%, respectively.

Between 1986 and 1995, the proportion of cases referred to

juvenile court increased 85% for nonwhite youth under 15 and

69% for nonwhite youth 15 and older. During the same period,

the proportion of cases referred to juvenile court increased 45%

for white youth under 15 and 27% for white youth 15 and older.

For further information

This Fact Sheet is based in part on the report Juvenile Court

Statistics 1995. Copies are available from the Office of Juvenile

Justice and Delinquency Prevention’s (OJJDP’s) Juvenile Justice

Clearinghouse, 800–638–8736. OJJDP also supports distribution

of a PC-compatible software version of the data analyzed in

Juvenile Court Statistics. For a free copy of the software, Easy

Access to Juvenile Court Statistics, call the National Juvenile

Court Data Archive at the National Center for Juvenile Justice,

412–227–6950. This software can also be downloaded from

OJJDP’s home page: www.ncjrs.org/ojjhome.htm.

Charles M. Puzzanchera is a Research Assistant with the National

Juvenile Court Data Archive, which is supported by an OJJDP grant.

FS–9887

Proportion of Cases Involving White Youth

Under Age 15 Age 15 and Older

Most Serious Offense 1986 1995 1986 1995

Total 69% 64% 73% 67%

Person 56 56 58 59

Property 71 67 75 72

Drugs 77 64 74 64

Public order 72 61 76 65

Note: Percentages are calculated using unrounded numbers.

Estimated Number of Cases Handled by Juvenile Courts

Percent

Most Serious Offense 1986 1995 Change

Under Age 15 414,600 651,700 57%

Person 69,400 158,900 129

Property 275,600 366,900 33

Drugs 13,000 30,700 136

Public order 56,500 95,300 68

Age 15–17 740,000 1,025,800 39%

Person 117,400 212,400 81

Property 421,700 489,400 16

Drugs 57,200 123,900 117

Public order 143,700 200,100 39

Note: Percent change figures are calculated using unrounded numbers.

Caseload trends differed for younger and

older youth

Between 1986 and 1995, the number of cases referred to juvenile

court increased 57% for youth under 15 and 39% for youth 15

and older. In the same period, person offense cases handled by

juvenile courts increased 129% for youth under 15 and 81% for